Gowdy Slams Schumer For Calling On Nunes To Be Removed As House Intelligence Chairman [Video]

Congressman Trey Gowdy appeared on Fox News Monday evening to discuss Sen. Chuck Schumer’s demand that House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes be removed from his post.

“I just love it when Senator Schumer gives Republicans advice on what we ought to do,” Gowdy told host Martha MacCallum. “Devin is doing exactly what the chairman is [supposed] to do.”

Nunes caused controversy last week after he told members of the press he’d seen intelligence showing that members of Trump’s transition team had been unmasked during Obama-era surveillance operations. Nunes briefed the president on the what he’d found before telling members of the committee.

On Monday, Nunes confirmed that he visited the White House the day before the announcement, raising speculation that he may be getting the information from a member of the Trump administration.

Schumer claimed this had compromised the House Intelligence Chair’s ability to be impartial, and that Nunes was now protecting Trump.

“Without further ado, Speaker Ryan should replace Chairman Nunes,” the Senate minority leader said from the floor. “If Speaker Ryan wants the House to have a credible investigation, he needs to replace Chairman Nunes.”

“Chairman Nunes is falling down on the job and seems to be more interested in protecting the president than in seeking the truth,” Schumer added.

Discussing the incident on Monday, Gowdy said he wished Schumer and the Democrats “would be interested in the authenticity and reliability of the underlying data [rather than] the means by which it was acquired.”

“Whether it’s the White House or Waffle House, what difference does it make if the information is reliable and authentic?” Gowdy told MacCallum.

The Republican congressman said the investigation has nothing to do with Russia, so it shouldn’t be an issue for the Democrats.

“I realize that Democrats don’t like that fact that President Trump won, but he did,” Gowdy said. “[Nunes] has an obligation to update the commander in chief on information like this.”

Gowdy noted that Congress is at a “strange” place if the House Intelligence Chairman is unable to update the president on sensitive information.

“We’re not going to take advice from Chuck Schumer on who our chairman should be,” he concluded.